AthlonSports.com - MLBhttp://athlonsports.com/category/section/mlb
enRanking the Best and Worst MLB Managerial Jobs in 2014http://athlonsports.com/mlb/ranking-best-and-worst-mlb-managerial-jobs-2014
<div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ranking the Best and Worst MLB Managerial Jobs in 2014</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>Would you rather live in San Diego or Cleveland? Who you rather play in Yankee Stadium or Tropicana Field? Who would you rather work for? A&nbsp;Steinbrenner or a giant cable company?</p><p>Certainly, winning baseball is really all that matters in the end, but these things and much more go into ranking MLB&rsquo;s managerial jobs. Job security, pressure to win, ownership, tradition, fan support, TV contracts, geography and a path to a championship all factor into determining what is the best job in baseball.</p><p>There are some things that don&rsquo;t count, however, because they are dynamic in nature. For example, a team&rsquo;s current roster doesn&rsquo;t factor into the mix (nor do horrible contracts) because that will change so dramatically in a short period of time. The same can be said about General Managers. So if all things were considered equal &mdash; say, every team has the same roster and same GM &mdash; which managerial job would be the best in Major League Baseball?</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/18232-1/MoRivera.jpg" style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; float: right; width: 300px; height: 392px; " />1. New York Yankees</strong></span><br />Is the pressure to win greater in the Bronx than anywhere else? Yes. Has ownership been overbearing in the past? Yes. But putting any other team at No. 1 in baseball is just being cute. The Pinstripes are the most prestigious, most successful and most revered brand in the sport and leading the Yanks to a championship immortalizes you like nowhere else &mdash; except maybe the upper half of Chicago.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>2. Los Angeles Dodgers</strong></span><br />The Dodgers are under new ownership that is clearly willing to spend money &mdash; the Dodgers led the league with $254 million payroll in 2013. Los Angeles has a massive new cable network contract and led the majors in attendance a year ago (3.7 million) by a wide margin. This brand has history and tradition like its East Coast brethren and is the best job in the National League.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>3. Boston Red Sox</strong></span><br />Fenway Park alone makes this job extremely attractive. It&#39;s a pro sports gem. The fan support is one of the best in the majors and ownership is committed to winning &mdash; Boston had the third-highest payroll in the game last year. From an overall brand equity standpoint, few managerial gigs in the league can match what the Bo-Sox have to offer in terms of cultural significance.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>4. St. Louis Cardinals</strong></span><br />Unless you wear Cubbie Blue, the Cardinals fans are among the best in all of professional sports. The city of St. Louis cares more about its baseball team and does it in a way that only the Midwest can offer. It&#39;s why the Cards were No. 2 in attendance last year (3.3 million) and it&#39;s why the Redbirds have been in the postseason in 10 of the last 14 seasons.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>5. San Francisco Giants</strong></span><br />The Giants have proven that you can win big in the Bay Area and the name brand is one of the most storied and tradition-laden in the game. The ballpark is second to none and that is partly why the Giants were No. 3 in attendance last year (3.3 million). CEO Larry Baer seems to stay in the background allowing his people to work and creating nearly unmatched stability. There is a lot of value in a non-meddling figure head.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>6. Chicago Cubs</strong></span><br />There is a history of instability and the stadium needs to be &ldquo;addressed&rdquo; &mdash; whatever that means &mdash; but there wouldn&#39;t be a more significant American sports championship than if the Cubs were to win the World Series. The Ricketts family took over in 2009 and has slowly but surely shown that they are committed to making that happen by hiring the right people in the front office.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>7. Detroit Tigers</strong></span><br />The Tigers were one of just three American League teams to average more than 38,000 fans per game and the history of the franchise speaks for itself. Ownership is willing to spend the money to compete as the Tigers were fourth in the league last year with $154 million payroll. Finally, the path to a championship against the Royals, Twins, Indians and White Sox appears easier than in, say, the AL East.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>8. Los Angeles Angels</strong></span><br />There isn&rsquo;t a huge difference between this team and its crosstown rival. This team has a great owner in Arte Moreno who is willing to spend money and offer job security to a skipper. The city has its pluses and minuses but is still in a beautiful part of the country &mdash; especially, on a manager&#39;s salary. Stabilizing the future of the ballpark &mdash; one of the oldest in the league (1966) &mdash; will go a long way in determining the future of this managerial job.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>9. Cincinnati Reds</strong></span><br />A historic brand in a solid park in a town that loves baseball makes managing the Reds one of the league&rsquo;s better jobs. Ownership has changed hands a few times over the last two decades but the current regime has clearly been the most successful. There is no better place to be on Opening Day than in Cincinnati.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/35064-2/ATL_Slideshow.jpg" style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; float: right; width: 300px; height: 450px; " />10. Atlanta Braves</strong></span><br />There is a lot to love about managing the Bravos. History, success, tradition, their own cable network and a richly populated area of raw baseball talent makes this a great job. It&rsquo;s not top five, however, because attendance has always been a question (even in the postseason) and the fact that Turner Field won&rsquo;t even last two decades leaves a very odd and poor taste in the mouth.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>11. Philadelphia Phillies</strong></span><br />A passionate fanbase, committed payroll and recent run of big-time success make this a very attractive place to manage. Sometimes the fans can be &ldquo;too&rdquo; passionate and the city will heap expectations on their sports team unlike anywhere in the country. But when things are going well, this front office, ballpark and clubhouse is a great place to be.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>12. New York Mets</strong></span><br />Being second in your own town can be both a positive and a negative. It means the pressure to win isn&rsquo;t as great but it means there&#39;s a tough fight for headlines as well. Citi Field is a newly minted gem of a park and working in the world&rsquo;s biggest media market is a huge plus. Ownership has been forced to be stingy of late but has a track record of spending money.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>13. Baltimore Orioles</strong></span><br />Camden Yards began a ballpark revolution when it comes to design, intimacy and fan experience when it opened 1992. Ownership also has appeared to have a renewed commitment to winning of late, increasing payroll to over $100 million for the first time in franchise history last season. Baseball is more fun when the Orioles are good.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>14. Texas Rangers</strong></span><br />It took 36 years for this franchise to reach the playoffs for the first time (1996) and has gone from whipping boy in the 80s to annual AL West powerhouse today. The stadium isn&rsquo;t new (1994) but attendance has been one of the AL&rsquo;s most consistent, finishing second in the AL last season (3.1 million). The city isn&rsquo;t all that great and ownership can be finicky but overall this has the makings of an elite job should the spending ($138 million last year) continue.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>15. Washington Nationals</strong></span><br />The Nats have a brand new park (2008), are willing to spend money ($112 million last year) and appear to be luring fans to the park (11th in attendance). That said, there is a lot to compete with in the D.C. area and the Orioles have a longer history and tradition of support in the region. The front office appears to be one of the more committed after increasing spending in each of the last seven seasons. And that makes this an intriguing job.</p><p><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><div class="inset-html" style="width:300px;"></span><em><span style="font-size:16px;">Order your <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://shop.athlonsports.com/index.php?cPath=33_440" target="_blank">Athlon Sports MLB Preview</a> magazine today.<img alt="" src="http://shop.athlonsports.com/images/SF-Oakland_v86_2014.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 398px;" /></span></em><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif;"></div></span></p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>16. Chicago White Sox</strong></span><br />Managing on the Southside will never be confused with managing on the Northside but one Chicago team has a championship in the last 100 years and the other does not. Attendance and payroll dipped last season to decade-lows and that is a concerning trend but after seven straight years of $100 million-plus payrolls, the fans cannot complain about effort from ownership. The new park is starting to get stale but baseball fans in the Windy City will certainly support a winner.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>17. Arizona Diamondbacks</strong></span><br />This team has the vibe and makeup to be a major market franchise if it so chooses. It has never been below two million in gross attendance in any year and has proven it is willing to spend money in the past &mdash; over $100 million in 2002 following a trip to the World Series. It&#39;s located in a big city that is extremely attractive to most and has proven it can be a winner with five playoff appearances in just 16 total years of existence.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>18. Pittsburgh Pirates</strong></span><br />Many believe that PNC Park is the best in the game today, and, finally, last year the fans had a reason to pack it to the gills. Current ownership took over in 1996 after the past regime had spent a paltry $905,517 on payroll in &rsquo;95. It appears like this team is finally willing to spend money and it resulted in the highest attendance (2,256 million) since PNC&rsquo;s first year in 2001 and the highest payroll ($96 million) in franchise history. It should be no surprise that the Pirates posted their first winning season since 1992.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>19. Minnesota Twins</strong></span><br />From a job security standpoint, few teams can match the Twins commitment to their personnel. The new ballpark has some negatives (like being outside in Minnesota) but is extremely well done and virtually brand new. The history is rich and the only missing piece is the big market payroll (27th in &rsquo;13).</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>20. San Diego Padres</strong></span><br />This team plays in one of the best towns in the nation in one of the nicer parks in the league. And the Padres have only had two managers since 1995, so stability seems to like San Diego. Attendance has consistently topped 2 million per year since the mid-90s but the payroll has consistently been in the bottom third of the league. This seems like a much better job than most give it credit for on the surface.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>21. Cleveland Indians</strong></span><br />The fans are passionate but Cleveland is definitely a football town first and a baseball city second. Progressive Field was a big step up from Memorial Stadium, but it opened two decades ago and the Indians were 29th in attendance last year. Dolan Family ownership took over a team that had been to the playoffs five straight seasons and has delivered a postseason roster only three times in the last 15 years.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>22. Oakland Athletics</strong></span><br />There is a lot to like and a lot to be concerned about with Oakland. The stadium situation has to be fixed and that could mean a move across town &mdash; or a move across the country. There is plenty of history and tradition of success and a lot worse places to live than the Bay Area. However, this team traditionally acts like a small market squad when it comes to spending money. And for what it&rsquo;s worth, this team has had four managers since 2002. Moving into a new ballpark could rocket this franchise up the list. Staying put could drop it like a rock to the bottom.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>23. Milwaukee Brewers</strong></span><br />The ballpark is excellent and the good people of Wisconsin love going to sporting events but Miller Park was only three-quarters of the way full last fall (31,248 per game). Some of that may be due to the lack of success historically that this team has experienced. It&rsquo;s been to two postseasons since 1982 and many of the big ticket items were not retained by the franchise (Prince, Greinke, CC).</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>24. Colorado Rockies</strong></span><br />The Rockies boast an excellent ballpark in a great town and, regionally, face little competition from other baseball franchises. At tenth in the league in attendance (2.7 million), the fans have been willing to support their team even in some of the worst baseball conditions in the league. In fact, Colorado has been above 2.3 million every year since getting to the World Series in 2007.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>25. Houston Astros</strong></span><br />Ownership does appear to be pointing this organization in the right direction but it has a long way to go. The stadium is quirky but nice and fairly modern. And the Stros have been to a World Series in the last decade. The $14 million payroll from a year ago is hugely concerning and the move to the American League makes for a strange combination of NL history and current AL batting orders.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/35031-2/TAM_Slideshow.jpg" style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; float: right; width: 300px; height: 450px; " />26. Tampa Bay Rays</strong></span><br />The stadium might be the worst in the majors, rumors of the team leaving town have long swirled around the Bay, it plays in arguably the toughest division and attendance &mdash; despite lots of winning &mdash; has been atrocious (last in &rsquo;13). Ownership lets Joe Maddon do his thing, and that is a huge plus, but this team excels without any advantages that other teams in the division thrive on.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>27. Seattle Mariners</strong></span><br />Clearly the front office is willing to spend money and has done a solid job developing pitching but this team is playing in one of the better divisions in the game and attendance is slipping in a big way. This team drew 3.5 million in 2002 and has watched numbers drop ever since to 1.7 million last year. It may be unfair, but the Mariners also feel out of sight and out of mind stuck up there in the Pacific Northwest.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>28. Kansas City Royals</strong></span><br />Kauffman Stadium is a nice place to watch a game but this team hasn&rsquo;t drawn more than 1.8 million fans since the ballpark opened in 1993. Ownership changed in 2000 and payroll has consistently risen but only recently (last year) did it top $70 million for the first time in franchise history. There is some history here but it is in the distant past as the Royals haven&rsquo;t made the playoffs since 1985.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>29. Toronto Blue Jays</strong></span><br />The only team not located in the United States plays in a stadium that lacks the warmth (both literally and figuratively) of true outdoor natural grass parks. Ownership has been around since 2000 (Rogers Communications) and has spent serious money of late but this organization has yet to prove it can make the right maneuvers in the toughest division in baseball.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>30. Miami Marlins</strong></span><br />The one thing the Marlins franchise had going for it &mdash; a brand new ballpark &mdash; was totally botched due to lack of distinct and innovative engineering. All sports teams in Miami have a tough enough time drawing fans to a game without a giant fishy optical illusion in center field. Ownership has proven it can build a winner but it has also proven that it can dismantle a team quicker than a Giancarlo Stanton line drive. No payroll, no attendance and no history make this the toughest job in the league.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field-collection-container clearfix"><div class="field field-name-field-must-read-links field-type-field-collection field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Must Read Links:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"><div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links clearfix" class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links">
<div class="content">
<div class="field field-name-field-exclude-unless-partner field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude Unless Partner:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div> </div>
</div>
</div></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-exclude-from-feeds field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude From Games:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Include In Games</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-previous-article field-type-entityreference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Previous Article:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">25 Best Baseball Players 25 and Under</div></div></div>Wed, 26 Mar 2014 20:00:00 +0000Braden Gall62417 at http://athlonsports.comBest Baseball Players 35 and Overhttp://athlonsports.com/mlb/best-baseball-players-35-and-over-2014
<div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Best Baseball Players 35 and Over</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/16864-1/Cliff+Lee.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 327px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />Everyone knows that Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and others are the future of baseball, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean three aren&rsquo;t any All-Star-caliber &ldquo;old&rdquo; guys still getting the job done on the diamond. Even with Mariano Rivera retired, one could put together a pretty competitive team of MLB players who are at least 35 years old.</p><p>Here is Athlon Sports&rsquo; list of the top players in the game who are or will be at least 35 years old as of Opening Day (March 31). After all, age is just a number.</p><p><em>Age as of Opening Day (March 31) listed in parentheses</em></p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>1. David Ortiz, DH/1B, Boston (38)</strong></span><br />He doesn&rsquo;t really need to even bring a glove to the ballpark any more, but as long as Big Papi hits like he did last season, he will head up this list. Ortiz hit .309 with 30 home runs and 103 RBIs for the Red Sox, earning his ninth All-Star invite, sixth Silver Slugger award (at DH) and helping Boston win its third World Series title in 10 seasons. He finished 10th in the AL MVP voting and as long as Ortiz stays healthy, he should have several more productive seasons left in that bat of his.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>2. Cliff Lee, P, Philadelphia (35)</strong></span><br />One of the best lefties in the game, Lee went 14-8 with a 2.87 ERA for the Phillies last season. He struck out as many batters (222) as innings pitched (222 2/3) and earned his fourth All-Star Game invite in the process. He has pitched 200 or more innings in six straight seasons, while compiling a collective ERA of 2.89 during this span. The last time he gave up more hits than innings pitched was in 2009 and he&rsquo;s issued a total of 163 walks over the past five seasons combined.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>3. Carlos Beltran, OF, St. Louis (36)</strong></span><br />After two productive seasons in St. Louis, Beltran signed a three-year contract to join the Yankees. A return to the American League and the opportunity to DH on occasion should only help extend Beltran&rsquo;s career, not that there&rsquo;s any concern when he&rsquo;s manning right field either. Beltran&rsquo;s run production decreased last season compared to 2012, but he still hit 24 home runs and drove in 84 while batting .296 for the NL champion Cardinals.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>4. Derek Jeter, SS, New York Yankees (39)</strong></span><br />Granted Jeter played a grand total of 17 games last year and batted a woeful .190 in them, but I&rsquo;m willing to give the Yankee captain a break due to injuries. Jeter has already announced that this, his 20th season, will be his last in pinstripes and there&rsquo;s nothing he can do to hurt his Hall of Fame legacy. Don&rsquo;t forget that two seasons ago, Jeter batted .316 with an MLB-best 216 hits and 99 runs scored, as he finished seventh in the AL MVP voting.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>5. Alfonso Soriano, OF, New York Yankees (38)</strong></span><br />All Soriano has done the past two seasons is post consecutive 30-100 campaigns, which is pretty good for any player, let alone a guy who is closer to his 40s than 30s. Now in the last year of his much-discussed and equally criticized contract, Soriano appears to be making a push for one more payday, as he hit 17 home runs with 50 RBIs in just 58 games for the Yankees last season after being traded from the Cubs in late July.</p><p>Although it probably won&rsquo;t happen, Soriano is just 12 stolen bases away from posting 2,000 hits, 1,100 runs, 400 home runs and 300 steals in his career. The only others one to accomplish this feat in baseball history are Barry Bonds, Andre Dawson, Willie Mays and Alex Rodriguez.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>6. Koji Uehara, P, Boston (38)</strong></span><br />Uehara went from a set-up guy to closer after injuries shook up the Red Sox&rsquo; bullpen last season. The Japanese reliever thrived in his new role, saving 21 games in the regular season and seven more in October to help his team win the World Series. Uehara was practically unhittable, giving up just 35 knocks in 79 total innings pitched with 104 strikeouts and a total of nine walks. He also didn&rsquo;t allow a single run in 10 appearances (10 2/3 IP) in the ALCS and World Series combined.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/41901-1/HunterT300.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 375px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />7. Torii Hunter, OF, Detroit (38)</strong></span><br />Maybe we should start calling Hunter &ldquo;Bat-Man&rdquo; instead of &ldquo;Spider-Man.&rdquo; The nine-time Gold Glove recipient has been a hitting machine in recent seasons, including a .304 average for the Tigers in 2013. Still a valuable defender in the outfield, Hunter won his second Silver Slugger award and received his fifth All-Star Game invite in his first season in Detroit. He also eclipsed the 300-home run plateau last season, while scoring 90 runs and driving in 84 for the AL Central champs.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>8. Chase Utley, 2B, Philadelphia (35)</strong></span><br />After missing significant parts of each of the previous three seasons due to knee issues and other injuries, Utley rebounded nicely in 2013. Playing in 131 games, his most since 2009, the former perennial All-Star batted .284 with 18 home runs and 69 RBIs. The power (217 career home runs, 298 doubles) is still there, it&rsquo;s just a matter of Utley being able to stay in the lineup and on the field on a consistent basis.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>9. R.A. Dickey, P, Toronto (39)</strong></span><br />The 2012 NL Cy Young Award winner&rsquo;s first season north of the border wasn&rsquo;t near as successful, but Dickey still won 14 games and a Gold Glove with the Blue Jays. He was more effective after the All-Star break, going 6-3 with a 3.56 ERA in the second half, as the knuckleballer got a little more acclimated to his new league and pitching environments. While he may not get back to his 2012 form, expect Dickey to continue to confound hitters with his array of unpredictable pitches.</p><p><strong><span style="font-size:16px;">10. Joe Nathan, P, Detroit (39)</span></strong><br />Nathan has moved on from Texas, where he saved 80 games in two seasons and was an All-Star both times. Now with the Tigers, Nathan should benefit from both Detroit&rsquo;s offense and the more pitcher-friendly dimensions of Comerica Park, compared to the bandbox that is the newly minted Globe Life Pak in Arlington, Texas. Then again, if Nathan comes close to matching his 1.39 ERA from last season, it won&rsquo;t matter what stadium he&rsquo;s pitching in.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>11. Michael Cuddyer, 1B/OF, Colorado (35)</strong></span><br />Cuddyer will turn 35 a few days before Opening Day, and if last season was any indication, he appears set to age gracefully. The NL batting champion with a .331 average, Cuddyer posted his best numbers in four seasons with 20 home runs, 31 doubles, 84 RBIs, while also contributing 10 stolen bases. He earned his second All-Star Game invite and also won his first Silver Slugger award. Not bad for a guy who was in his 13th season in the majors.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>12. Jason Grilli, P, Pittsburgh (37)</strong></span><br />Grilli fared quite well in his first shot as a closer, saving 33 games and helping his Pirates get to the postseason for the first time in 20 years. A first-time All-Star, the only negative aspect to his 2013 campaign was a forearm issue that caused him to miss some time. Grilli made it back before the playoffs, however, and was his usual effective self; pitching 3 1/3 scoreless innings before Pittsburgh was eliminated by St. Louis in the NLDS.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>13. Hiroki Kuroda, P, New York Yankees (39)</strong></span><br />Fellow countryman Masahiro Tanaka is getting all of the attention, but all Kuroda has done for the Yankees these past two seasons is take the mound when it&rsquo;s his turn and keep his team in the game. Even though he went 11-13 last season, Kuroda posted a 3.31 ERA in 201 1/3 innings. He has good control (43 BB, 150 SO) and provided a quality start 19 of the 32 times he got the ball.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>14. Aramis Ramirez, 3B, Milwaukee (35)</strong></span><br />A knee injury limited Ramirez to just 92 games and sapped his power (12 HR) last season, but when healthy this is still a guy capable of hitting more than 25 homers and driving in 90 runs. He did have surgery in December to remove a non-cancerous polyp from his colon, which will probably result in him missing the first few games of Cactus League action in spring training, but he should be batting cleanup for the Brewers by Opening Day.&nbsp;</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>15. Victor Martinez, DH, Detroit (35)</strong></span><br />After missing all of the 2012 season, Martinez returned to the Tigers&rsquo; lineup last year and batted .301 as their primary DH. Still capable enough of filling in behind the plate or at first on occasion, Martinez&rsquo; main job is to hit. And as a .303 career hitter who is basically a lock for double-digit home runs and 80-plus RBIs when he plays a full season, it&rsquo;s a task he has handled very well.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>16. A.J. Burnett, P, Philadelphia (37)</strong></span><br />His divorce from Pittsburgh may have been messy, but Burnett won&rsquo;t have to travel far for his new home. More importantly, the hope is that his performance on the mound, which included a career-best 3.30 ERA and 209 strikeouts for the NL Wild Card-winning Pirates, makes the trip from the Steel City to the City of Brotherly Love as well. While the wins may not have been there (10-11 last season), Burnett has been pretty reliable, making at least 30 starts and pitching 186 innings or more in each of the past six seasons.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>17. Grant Balfour, P, Tampa Bay (36)</strong></span><br />A failed physical negated a potential free-agent deal with Baltimore, so instead Balfour will re-join the Rays&rsquo; bullpen. More of a set-up guy his previous stint in Tampa (2007-10), the Australian moved on to Oakland where he eventually ascended to the closer role. A first-time All-Star last season after registering 38 saves for the AL West champs, Balfour has posted an ERA of 2.59 or lower in each of his past four campaigns.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>18. Fernando Rodney, P, Seattle (37)</strong></span><br />Another closer on the move this offseason, Rodney saved 85 games for Tampa Bay over the last two seasons. An All-Star and Cy Young candidate (finished 5th) in 2012, Rodney saw his ERA jump from 0.60 to 3.38 last season, although it was just 2.45 from June on. Still, with 172 career saves under his belt and nearly as many strikeouts (551) as innings pitched (571 1/3), Rodney should be a reliable late-game option for new Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>19. A.J. Pierzynski, C, Boston (37)</strong></span><br />The notably prickly, yet productive backstop is with his third team in as many seasons, joining the defending World Series champs after one season with Texas, A career .283 hitter, Pierzynski managed a .272 average with 17 home runs and 70 RBIs for the Rangers despite sharing the full-time catching duties. With Jarrod Saltalamacchia now with the Marlins, Pierzynski should get more than his share of at-bats for the Red Sox with Fenway Park (.322 career hitter there) being a nice fit for his left-handed swing.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>20. Bronson Arroyo, P, Arizona (37)</strong></span><br />There&rsquo;s nothing flashy about him, but Arroyo is as consistent as they come. During his eight-year run in Cincinnati, Arroyo averaged 13 wins and 211 innings per season and posted a collective 4.05 ERA. He&rsquo;s not going to strike out a ton of batters, but he&rsquo;s the kind of reliable, innings-eater that will keep you in ball games more times than not while taking some of the strain off of your bullpen. All of these are reasons why the Diamondbacks signed the veteran to a two-year contract (with team option in 2016) in February rather than inking or trading for a younger arm.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><em><strong>Best of the rest (alphabetical order)</strong></em></span></p><p><strong><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/43088-1/IchiroSuzuki_2013_300.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 327px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />Marlon Byrd, OF, Philadelphia (36)</strong><br />Byrd smashed a career-high 24 home runs and batted .291 while playing for both the Mets and Pirates last season. The free agent parlayed that success into a two-year deal (with vesting option in 2016) with the Phillies this offseason.</p><p><strong>Bartolo Colon, P, New York Mets (40)</strong><br />The seemingly ageless veteran won 18 games for Oakland last season, finishing sixth in the AL Cy Young voting. Now he returns to the NL for the first time since 2002, as Colon will try to help the Mets overcome the absence of Matt Harvey (Tommy John surgery) in their starting rotation this season.</p><p><strong>John Lackey, P, Boston (35)</strong><br />Lackey won 10 games in the regular season and three more in the playoffs for the World Series champs in 2013, his first year back after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Now the veteran will look to extend his run of double-digit-win seasons to 11 in a row.</p><p><strong>Kyle Lohse, P, Milwaukee (35)</strong><br />A late free-agent signee last March, Lohse ended up being one of the Brewers&rsquo; most consistent starters in 2013. He won 11 games, while posting a 3.35 ERA with fewer hits allowed (196) than innings pitched while giving up just 36 walks.</p><p><strong>Jimmy Rollins, SS, Philadelphia (35)</strong><br />His MVP days are long past him, but Rollins is still getting the job done at the plate (36 2B, 22 SB in 2013) and with the glove (just 11 errors) as the Phillies&rsquo; leadoff hitter and shortstop.</p><p><strong>Ichiro Suzuki, OF, New York Yankees (40)</strong><br />Suzuki (above, right) needs just 258 hits to reach the 3,000 plateau in his Hall of Fame career, but he may be hard-pressed to get there. With the additions of the aforementioned Beltran and Ellsbury, along with the presence of Soriano and Brett Gardner, Suzuki is probably relegated to fifth outfielder status this season.</p><p><strong>Josh Willingham, OF, Minnesota (35)</strong><br />Knee surgery pretty much defined Willingham&rsquo;s 2013 campaign, as he hit just 14 home runs and batted .208 in 389 at-bats. Before that, however, Willingham averaged 32 home runs the previous two seasons and, if healthy, should be able to produce around 30 in 2014.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field-collection-container clearfix"><div class="field field-name-field-must-read-links field-type-field-collection field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Must Read Links:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"><div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links clearfix" class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links">
<div class="content">
<div class="field field-name-field-exclude-unless-partner field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude Unless Partner:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div> </div>
</div>
</div></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-exclude-from-feeds field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude From Games:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Include In Games</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-previous-article field-type-entityreference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Previous Article:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">14 Things to Watch in Baseball in 2014</div></div></div>Thu, 27 Feb 2014 15:00:00 +0000Mark Ross58305 at http://athlonsports.comWorld Series Preview and Prediction: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Boston Red Soxhttp://athlonsports.com/mlb/world-series-preview-st-louis-cardinals-vs-boston-red-sox
<div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox, owners of the two best records in baseball, prepare to stage a classic showdown in the World Series.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>St. Louis Cardinals vs. Boston Red Sox</strong></span><br />This is the first time the two teams with their league&rsquo;s best records have met in the Fall Classic since the Yankees defeated the Braves in 1999. Both the Red Sox and Cardinals won 97 games. These two teams have proven to be among the best in baseball all season, and this series has all the signs of a long, competitive, down-to-the-wire World Series.</p><p>Both teams won their League Championship Series in six games with pitching as their hallmark. Neither team hit particularly well in two series dominated by pitching. Both Boston and St. Louis were opportunistic and capitalized on their opponents&rsquo; miscues.</p><p>There will be no room for error in this series. Both teams must be sharp in the field and on the bases. A small mistake can mean the difference in one game, and one game will likely be the difference in the series.<br />There is significant World Series experience in both dugouts, especially among position players. Lance Lynn and Adam Wainwright of St. Louis, and Jon Lester and John Lackey of Boston are the only pitchers on the two rosters to appear for winning teams in a previous World Series.</p><p>Baseball could not ask for a better matchup in the Fall Classic this season.<br />&nbsp;</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="World Series 2013" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/42045-1/WorldSeriesInset.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 163px; margin: 3px; float: right;" />2013 World Series Schedule</strong></span></p><p><strong>Game 1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Wed., Oct. 23&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St. Louis at Boston&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;8:07&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Fox</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Adam Wainwright (19-9)&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Jon Lester (15-8)</p><p><br /><strong>Game 2&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Thur., Oct. 24&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St. Louis at Boston&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;8:07&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Fox</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Michael Wacha (4-1)&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;John Lackey (10-13)</p><p><br /><strong>Game 3&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Sat., Oct. 26&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Boston at St. Louis&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;8:07&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Fox</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Clay Buchholz (12-1)&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Joe Kelly (10-5)</p><p><br /><strong>Game 4&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Sun., Oct. 27&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Boston at St. Louis&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;8:15&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Fox</strong><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jake Peavy (12-5)&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Lance Lynn (15-10)</p><p><br /><strong>Game 5&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Mon., Oct. 28&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Boston at St. Louis&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;8:07&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Fox<br />Game 6&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Wed., Oct. 30&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St. Louis at Boston&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;8:07&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Fox<br />Game 7&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Wed., Oct. 30&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St. Louis at Boston&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;8:07&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Fox</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/36867-1/Wainwright_300.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 261px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 6px; float: right;" />St. Louis Cardinals</strong></span><br /><strong>Lineup</strong><br />The Cardinals&rsquo; success usually begins at the top with leadoff hitter Matt Carpenter. He led the majors with 199 hits, 121 runs and 55 doubles. St. Louis has been without its best RBI man in Allen Craig, out with a foot injury, since early September. He will make his first appearance of this postseason in the World Series, and the Cardinals desperately need an offensive spark.</p><p><br /><strong>Rotation</strong><br />Veteran Adam Wainwright is still considered the ace, but rookie Michael Wacha has been the best starter in the postseason. Matheny gave Wacha the ball in the Cardinals&rsquo; must-win NLDS Game 4 at Pittsburgh. Wacha has allowed just one run in 21 innings, helping him to earn NLCS MVP honors.</p><p><br /><strong>Bullpen</strong><br />The Cardinals began the season with their closer Jason Motte on the shelf with Tommy John surgery. Edward Mujica stepped up and paced the club with 37 saves. He hit a wall in September and crashed and burned. Trevor Rosenthal, with three regular-season saves, has been perfect in the postseason. The Cardinals have a small army of young, power arms at their disposal.</p><p><br /><strong>Bench</strong><br />With the return of Craig, the Cardinals&rsquo; bench improves dramatically. While Matt Adams has done an admirable job filling in for Craig at first base, his absence leaves Matheny with no hammer off the bench. Craig will likely DH at Boston and come off the bench in St. Louis.</p><p><br /><strong><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/38296-1/CarlosBeltran_2012_300.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 261px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 6px; float: right;" />Defense</strong><br />The Cardinals made the fewest errors this season in team history, but that is not the whole story. Range is limited all over the field except in center, and the aging Carlos Beltran is the only outfielder with a good arm. Catcher Yadier Molina, one of the best all-time behind the plate, will be asked to shut down Boston&rsquo;s running game, which should be a fascinating battle.</p><p><br /><strong>Keys to Winning</strong><br />St. Louis is experienced in the postseason and has a manager that keeps them focused on the game at hand. The Cardinals posted the best average with runners in scoring postion of all-time (.330) during the season. They hit just .192 in that situation against the Pirates in the NLDS, and .349 in the NLCS. They proved to the Pirates and Dodgers that they could win games without a dominant offense. The Cardinals rely on young pitchers in key spots, namely Wacha and Rosenthal. The bullpen in front of Rosenthal will be a factor in this series and could be the Cardinals&rsquo; Achilles heel.</p><p><br /><strong>Players to Watch</strong><br />Matheny expects to get two quality starts from both Wainwright and Wacha, and run production from Beltran, who relishes hitting in the postseason. In addition to Beltran, consistent production from Matt Holliday, David Freese and Molina would be huge. And how Rosenthal and other young relievers like Kevin Siegrist and Carlos Martinez respond in clutch situations &mdash; especially at Fenway Park &mdash; may determine the outcome of the series.<br /><br /><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/41985-1/OrtizD300.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 270px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 6px; float: right;" /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Boston Red Sox</strong></span><br /><strong>Lineup</strong><br />The Red Sox led the majors in runs and OPS during the regular season, but were stymied by Detroit pitching in the ALCS. Boston is batting just .236 in the postseason and show little resemblance to the potent lineup that took the field all summer. Jacoby Ellsbury has been a threat from the leadoff spot with a .467 OBP and six stolen bases in the postseason. With Ellsbury on base, the lineup revolves around Big Papi, David Ortiz. The bottom of the order has provided very little help in the playoffs.</p><p><br /><strong>Rotation</strong><br />Clay Buchholz won his first 12 decisions this year, before missing three months with an injury. Both he and Jon Lester have been everything the Red Sox had hoped for in the postseason. John Lackey, no stranger to World Series success, has given the Sox a lift. Jake Peavy hasn&rsquo;t been sharp and doesn&rsquo;t have a good history against the Cardinals.</p><p><br /><strong>Bullpen</strong><br />The bullpen has been the strength of the team in the playoffs, led by ALCS MVP Koji Uehara. The pen is deeper than the Cardinals&rsquo; relief corps, so the Boston starters shouldn&rsquo;t feel undue pressure to go deep into games.</p><p><br /><strong>Bench</strong><br />Mike Napoli, a catcher-turned-first baseman, will likely come off the bench in Games 3, 4 and 5 in St. Louis. There is an option to put him behind the plate, but he hasn&rsquo;t caught any games this season. Manager John Farrell can mix and match a few positions, namely left field and third base. Left fielders Daniel Nava, a switch-hitter, and Jonny Gomes, who hits southpaws well, provide Farrell with late-inning options. Xander Bogaerts and Will Middlebrooks will share the hot corner most likely.</p><p><br /><strong><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/41497-1/Uehara300.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 267px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 6px; float: right;" />Defense</strong><br />The Red Sox outfield defense is strong with Ellsbury in center and Shane Victorino in right. In the infield Stephen Drew is a solid shortstop and Dustin Pedroia is one of the best in the business at second. It will be interesting to see how well Ortiz handles himself at first base at St. Louis.</p><p><br /><strong>Keys to Winning</strong><br />The Red Sox are tough to beat at Fenway Park as the Rays and Tigers have found out recently. The ballpark has been magical for the Red Sox this century. The Red Sox must hold serve in the first two games. Boston&rsquo;s bat slumber better be over because if they don&rsquo;t wake up, the St. Louis pitchers can dominate. The starting pitching can be inconsistent, especially on the road, so getting quality starts allows the bullpen to take over and slam the door.</p><p><br /><strong>Players to Watch</strong><br />Offensively, Farrell expects the top of the order &mdash; Ellsbury, Victorino, Pedroia and Ortiz &mdash; to produce. But what the bottom of the order contributes could be a key to the series. The Cardinals have been susceptible to left-handed pitching, and while the return of the right-handed hitting Craig helps, lefties Craig Breslow and Franklin Morales will be called on to get some clutch outs.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Numbers Game</strong></span><br /><strong>.731</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Career slugging percentage for Carlos Beltran of the Cardinals in the postseason. It ranks third all-time behind Babe Ruth (.744) and Lou Gehrig (.731) among players with at least 150 plate appearances in the postseason.</p><p><strong>7</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Players on the 2013 St. Louis roster who earned a World Series ring in 2011. An eighth, Adam Wainwright, was injured and did not appear in the 2011 World Series, but played a crucial role as the closer for the 2006 champions.</p><p><strong>4</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Players on the 2013 Boston roster who earned a World Series ring in 2007.</p><p><strong>23</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Games won in the NLCS since 2000 for St. Louis. No other National League team has played in that many NLCS games during that time.</p><p><strong>28</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;More wins for Boston in 2013 than in 2012. That was the greatest improvement by any team in the majors this season.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span style="font-size:20px;"><strong style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">PREDICTION: Boston in 7</strong></span></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-64 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">MLB Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/st-louis-cardinals">St. Louis Cardinals</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/boston-red-sox">Boston Red Sox</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-65 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">MLB Players:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/adam-wainwright">Adam Wainwright</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/michael-wacha">Michael Wacha</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/joe-kelly">Joe Kelly</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/lance-lynn">Lance Lynn</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/matt-carpenter">Matt Carpenter</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/carlos-beltran">Carlos Beltran</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/matt-holliday">Matt Holliday</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/yadier-molina">Yadier Molina</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/allen-craig">Allen Craig</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/jon-jay">Jon Jay</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/david-freese">David Freese</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/matt-adams">Matt Adams</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/trevor-rosenthal">Trevor Rosenthal</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/jacoby-ellsbury">Jacoby Ellsbury</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/dustin-pedroia">Dustin Pedroia</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/shane-victorino">Shane Victorino</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/david-ortiz">David Ortiz</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/mike-napoli">Mike Napoli</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/stephen-drew">Stephen Drew</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/jon-lester">Jon Lester</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/clay-buchholz">Clay Buchholz</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/john-lackey">John Lackey</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/jake-peavy">Jake Peavy</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/koji-uehara">Koji Uehara</a></div></div></div><div class="field-collection-container clearfix"><div class="field field-name-field-must-read-links field-type-field-collection field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Must Read Links:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"><div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links clearfix" class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links">
<div class="content">
<div class="field field-name-field-exclude-unless-partner field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude Unless Partner:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div> </div>
</div>
</div></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-exclude-from-feeds field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude From Games:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Include In Games</div></div></div>Tue, 22 Oct 2013 16:45:25 +0000Charlie Miller27866 at http://athlonsports.com2013 MLB Pennant Races: A to Zhttp://athlonsports.com/mlb/2013-mlb-pennant-fever-z
<div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">From A to Z, here are the keys to the 2013 MLB pennant races.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Pedro Alvarez</strong></span></p><p>Maybe the third baseman was rushed through the Pirates&rsquo; system, or maybe he&rsquo;s been a little slow to develop, but the Pirates have been rewarded for their patience with the young slugger. The second overall pick in 2008 is tied for the NL lead in homers and is fourth in RBIs. If the Bucs can hang on and win the NL Central, Alvarez will be a key component.</p><p><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Clay Buchholz</strong></span><br />The Boston righthander was 9-0 through his first 12 starts. But a neck strain and bursa sac inflammation have sidelined him since June 8. Boston&rsquo;s chances increase dramatically with a healthy Buchholz in the rotation for the playoffs.<br /><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/39409-1/CabreraM_300.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 261px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 6px; float: right;" /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Miguel Cabrera</strong></span><br />The best hitter on the planet in the middle of the lineup for the Tigers is the No. 1 factor in how far Detroit can advance this season. The Tigers need Miggy completely healthy in order to make a deep run in the playoffs.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Drama (lack of)</strong></span><br />The only drama in the NL may be which of the three NL Central teams &mdash; the Pirates, Cardinals or Reds &mdash; will win the division and which two will be left to play in the wild-card game.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Experience</strong></span><br />There is very little postseason experience &mdash; and even less proven success &mdash; among NL starting pitchers likely to earn starts this October. A.J. Burnett of the Pirates has the most starts (7, all with the Yankees) and a 5.87 ERA. The Braves&rsquo; starters have one start in the postseason combined. The only two starters with postseason success are Adam Wainwright of St. Louis, with four starts and four saves in the playoffs and a 2.48 ERA over 32.2 innings; and the Reds&rsquo; Mike Leake, who had a terrific start last season against the Giants.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Prince Fielder</strong></span><br />Opponents may choose to pitch around Cabrera, leaving Fielder as the focal point of Detroit&rsquo;s lineup. The big man struggled at a .173 clip in the postseason last year with only one extra-base hit. He&rsquo;s been a valuable protector for Cabrera in the regular season, but how he performs in the playoffs could determine the Tigers&rsquo; fate.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Jason Grilli</strong></span><br />The Pirates&rsquo; closer was almost perfect for the first three months of the season, but his injury has forced Pittsburgh to shuffle its bullpen. So far, there have been few problems as Mark Melancon, Justin Wilson, Tony Watson and Vin Mazzaro have taken up the slack. But the Pirates have a much better shot at winning the NL Central with their closer healthy. He&rsquo;s beginning to make a few rehab appearances in the minor leagues, hopeful that he can return to Pittsburgh by mid-September.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Jason Heyward</strong></span><br />The Braves&rsquo; offense took off when Heyward was moved to the leadoff spot, and Atlanta has been one of the hottest teams in baseball since. But Heyward was hit in the face with a pitch on Aug. 21, causing him to be out until late in the season. His healthy return will be critical for the Braves once the playoffs begin.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Jose Iglesias</strong></span><br />In one of the most significant trades at the deadline, the Tigers acquired Iglesias from the Red Sox anticipating the suspension of shortstop Jhonny Peralta. Iglesias will not provide pop to match Peralta, but his defense is terrific.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Kenley Jansen</strong></span><br />The Dodgers&rsquo; starting pitching has been terrific, and the lineup has been hitting on all cylinders. If there is an Achilles heel for Los Angeles, it would be the bullpen. Jansen closed just 78 percent of his opportunities last season, and allowed 33 percent of inherited runners to score. He&rsquo;s been much better this season, however, closing 88 percent of his opportunities and allowing just 14 percent of inherited runners to cross the plate.<br /><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/41341-1/Kershaw300.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 267px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 6px; float: right;" /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Clayton Kershaw</strong></span><br />The most dominant pitcher in the majors this season must continue to confound hitters in the playoffs. The lefty carries a career 5.87 ERA in the postseason, and he needs to be the shutdown ace in order for the Dodgers to win a series &mdash; or more.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Francisco Liriano</strong></span><br />Throughout his career, there has been little doubt as to Liriano&rsquo;s immense talent. But his inconsistency has confounded pitching coaches over the years. Right now, he&rsquo;s the Pirates&rsquo; ace, but if he falters, the Pirates&rsquo; dream of postseason success could fade with him.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Wil Myers</strong></span><br />Myers has anchored the Rays&rsquo; lineup from the cleanup spot. Since early July, he&rsquo;s batting .339, and when he drives in a run, the Rays are 17-5. When he doesn&rsquo;t have an RBI, the team is 18-22 (in games he plays).<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Joe Nathan</strong></span><br />When the Rangers were at their best earlier this season, the bullpen was terrific. The closer didn&rsquo;t blow his first save until May 26 after he had successfully closed 16. He now has 38 saves in 40 chances. But he&rsquo;s walked 10 in his last 13 innings and is showing signs of wearing down. Texas doesn&rsquo;t need a tired Nathan.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>David Ortiz</strong></span><br />Boston&rsquo;s rebound from last season&rsquo;s debacle has been remarkable. And Ortiz has been right in the middle of the turnaround. He leads the team in batting average, slugging, on-base percentage, home runs and RBIs. Yeah, he&rsquo;s sort of a key to the Red Sox hopes.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/39940-2/Yasiel_Puig.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 269px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 6px; float: right;" />Yasiel Puig</strong></span><br />Puig&rsquo;s energy and all-out style are fun to watch, yet can be exasperating for his manager because of careless mistakes and spotty concentration. But when he&rsquo;s on his game, he is a scary figure in the batter&rsquo;s box. The Dodgers need him to be on.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Quality Starts</strong></span><br />While the official Quality Start statistic is among the most meaningless, it is critical that teams&rsquo; starting pitching get deep into games to save bullpen arms down the stretch. As we saw two years ago in Atlanta, tired bullpens can be disasters late in the season.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Replay</strong></span><br />Anything baseball can do to ensure that the right calls are made is welcome.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Suspensions</strong></span><br />The Rangers&rsquo; best run producer (at the time of his suspension), Nelson Cruz, is currently suspended, as is shortstop Jhonny Peralta of Detroit. The Tigers reacted well and added shortstop Jose Iglesias, improving their defense. Texas has managed to improve its offensive numbers without Cruz, but the lineup is not nearly as intimidating with the right fielder missing.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Twins</strong></span><br />I know the Twins&rsquo; elimination number is less than 20 with almost a month to play. But no team will have more say in more pennant races than the Twins. Minnesota has seven games against the A&rsquo;s and the Rays visit Target Field for three. The Twins will spend the final week hosting the Tigers (3) and the Indians (4).<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Koji Uehara</strong></span><br />Since becoming the team&rsquo;s full-time closer in late June, Boston&rsquo;s Uehara is 3-0 with 15 saves in 17 chances with an 0.29 ERA. He has 41 Ks and has allowed just 10 hits and two walks. With the health and stability questions surrounding Boston&rsquo;s rotation, it&rsquo;s critical that Uehara is sharp at the back end of the bullpen.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Justin Verlander</strong></span><br />Max Scherzer is getting most of the attention in Detroit (and rightfully so) with his 19-1 record. But the horse manager Jim Leyland will lean on in the postseason is Verlander.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Ron Washington</strong></span><br />He&rsquo;s been there before. Twice in fact. He&rsquo;s been to within a strike of winning the World Series. Twice in fact. Last season ended too soon for the Rangers&rsquo; manager, and he is determined to have his troops ready for October. Not letting the AL West title slip away like last season is the first order of business.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Xander Bogaerts</strong></span><br />Boston called up its top prospect in mid-August, and he will be a key for the Red Sox. Shortstop Stephen Drew is batting under .250, and the Sox need an offensive spark from the position. Bogaerts has made three starts at shortstop and two at third. He&rsquo;s hitting .316 but has just one extra-base hit.<br /><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/38323-1/MolinaY_300.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 261px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 6px; float: right;" /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Yadi</strong></span><br />In St. Louis, fans know him by one name. The off-the-charts defensive catcher has proven to be one of the best hitters in the NL this season. Certain to receive serious MVP consideration, Yadier Molina is the most indispensable position player in the pennant race. The Cardinals can ill-afford for him to miss a beat.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Ben Zobrist</strong></span><br />One of the best defensive second basemen in the big leagues, Zobrist has also made starts in left, right and short. He&rsquo;s also hit in each of the first five spots in the batting order. He is the heart and soul of the Rays&rsquo; lineup.<br /><br />&nbsp;</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-64 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">MLB Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/pittsburgh-pirates">Pittsburgh Pirates</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/boston-red-sox">Boston Red Sox</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/detroit-tigers">Detroit Tigers</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/cincinnati-reds">Cincinnati Reds</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/st-louis-cardinals">St. Louis Cardinals</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/tampa-bay-rays">Tampa Bay Rays</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/los-angeles-dodgers">Los Angeles Dodgers</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/texas-rangers">Texas Rangers</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/atlanta-braves">Atlanta Braves</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/minnesota-twins">Minnesota Twins</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-65 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">MLB Players:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/pedro-alvarez">Pedro Alvarez</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/clay-buchholz">Clay Buchholz</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/miguel-cabrera">Miguel Cabrera</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/prince-fielder">Prince Fielder</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/jason-grilli">Jason Grilli</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/jason-heyward">Jason Heyward</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/jose-iglesias">Jose Iglesias</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/kenley-jansen">Kenley Jansen</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/clayton-kershaw">Clayton Kershaw</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/francisco-liriano">Francisco Liriano</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/wil-myers">Wil Myers</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/joe-nathan">Joe Nathan</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/david-ortiz">David Ortiz</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/yasiel-puig">Yasiel Puig</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/nelson-cruz">Nelson Cruz</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/jhonny-peralta">Jhonny Peralta</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/koji-uehara">Koji Uehara</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/justin-verlander">Justin Verlander</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/ron-washington">Ron Washington</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/xander-bogaerts">Xander Bogaerts</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/yadier-molina">Yadier Molina</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/ben-zobrist">Ben Zobrist</a></div></div></div>Wed, 04 Sep 2013 13:03:03 +0000Charlie Miller26520 at http://athlonsports.comBraves' Jason Heyward Has Jaw Broken By Pitch (GIF)http://athlonsports.com/overtime/braves-jason-heyward-has-jaw-broken-pitch-gif
<div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Braves&#039; Jason Heyward Has Jaw Broken By Pitch (GIF)
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <div>Braves outfielder Jason Heyward sustained two jaw fractures when he was struck by a 90-mph fastball from Mets left-hander Jonathon Niese on Wednesday. He will undergo surgery Thursday, and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. We wish him a speedy recovery.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><img alt="Braves' Jason Heyward Has Jaw Broken By Pitch (GIF)" src="http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/visual/whatshot/heywardhbplong.gif" style="width: 640px; height: 357px;" /></div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-68 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Miscellaneous:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/gif">GIF</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-64 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">MLB Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/atlanta-braves">Atlanta Braves</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-65 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">MLB Players:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/jason-heyward">Jason Heyward</a></div></div></div>Thu, 22 Aug 2013 01:36:40 +0000Rich McVey26022 at http://athlonsports.comMLB suspends A-Rod, 12 others linked to Biogenesishttp://athlonsports.com/mlb/mlb-suspends-rod-12-others-linked-biogenesis
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>New York, NY (Sports Network) - After weeks of speculation, Major League Baseball has handed down suspensions to the Biogenesis-linked players.</p><p>Of the 13 individuals disciplined, Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was the only one to appeal, meaning he'll be expected to make his season debut when New York opens a three-game set against the White Sox in Chicago Monday night.</p><p>Rodriguez, the highest-profile player connected to the now-closed anti-aging clinic in Florida accused of supplying performance-enhancing substances, had the harshest penalty levied against him in the form of a suspension through the end of the 2014 season.</p><p>By appealing under the MLB drug policy, the 38-year-old Yankees star is eligible to play until such an appeal is heard by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz in the next three weeks.</p><p>Rodriguez, who previously admitted to using steroids during a two-year period from 2001-03 while with the Texas Rangers, has yet to play in the majors this year as he recovered from offseason hip surgery and more recently, a quad injury.</p><p>Rangers slugger Nelson Cruz, Detroit Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta, San Diego Padres shortstop Everth Cabrera and pitcher Fautino De Los Santos, Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli and outfielder Fernando Martinez, Philadelphia Phillies reliever Antonio Bastardo, Seattle Mariners catcher Jesus Montero, Houston Astros pitcher Sergio Escalona, New York Mets utility man Jordany Valdespin and outfielder Cesar Puello and free-agent pitcher Jordan Norberto each accepted 50-game bans as part of MLB's drug investigation.</p><p>Losing Cruz is a significant blow to the Rangers. The right fielder was pacing the club in homers (27) and RBI (76).</p><p>The Tigers braced for a lengthy suspension involving Peralta by acquiring Jose Iglesias from the Boston Red Sox last week.</p><p>Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, the 2011 NL MVP, accepted a 65-game suspension last month for his role with the clinic.</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-orig-doc-id field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Original Document:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">xt.18822131-BIOGENESIS-NYY-PHI-SDP-SEA-DET-NY</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-display-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Display Section:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/section/mlb">MLB</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-homepage-featured-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Horizontal Image:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/athlonsports.com/files/Alex-Rodriguez_702_0.jpg" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-feautred-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Square Image:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/athlonsports.com/files/Alex-Rodriguez_702.jpg" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field-collection-container clearfix"><div class="field field-name-field-whatreading-links field-type-field-collection field-label-above"><div class="field-label">What We&#039;re Reading:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"><div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-whatreading-links clearfix" class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-whatreading-links">
<div class="content">
<div class="field field-name-field-whatreading-link1-exclude field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude Unless Partner:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-whatreading-link2-exclude field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude Unless Partner:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-whatreading-link3-exclude field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude Unless Partner:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-whatreading-link4-exclude field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude Unless Partner:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-whatreading-link5-exclude field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude Unless Partner:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-whatreading-link6-exclude field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude Unless Partner:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div> </div>
</div>
</div></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-44 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Section:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/section/mlb">MLB</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/section/other-sports">News</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-64 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">MLB Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/philadelphia-phillies">Philadelphia Phillies</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/seattle-mariners">Seattle Mariners</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/new-york-yankees">New York Yankees</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-65 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">MLB Players:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/alex-rodriguez">Alex Rodriguez</a></div></div></div>Tue, 06 Aug 2013 11:00:01 +0000Athlon Sports25356 at http://athlonsports.com2013 MLB Trade Deadline: Winners and Losershttp://athlonsports.com/2013-mlb-trade-deadline-winers-and-losers
<div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Last season the most impactful trades didn’t seem that impressive when they were announced. But the additions of Hunter Pence and Marco Scutaro by San Francisco shifted the balance of power toward the Giants in the NL West and eventually led to a World Series championship. Often it’s the little things that seem to matter most, like solid defense, eating innings and clubhouse unity.
The frenzy at the trade deadline last Wednesday never really materialized, but there were a handful of significant trades over the past few weeks that could affect the 2013 pennant races.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>Last season the most impactful trades didn&rsquo;t seem that impressive when they were announced. But the additions of Hunter Pence and Marco Scutaro by San Francisco shifted the balance of power toward the Giants in the NL West and eventually led to a World Series championship. Often it&rsquo;s the little things that seem to matter most, like solid defense, eating innings and clubhouse unity.<br /><br />The frenzy at the trade deadline last Wednesday never really materialized, but there were a handful of significant trades over the past few weeks that could affect the 2013 pennant races.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:20px;"><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/40578-1/PeavyJ300.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 450px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 6px; float: right;" />Winners</span></strong><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Boston Red Sox</strong></span><br />The Sox weren&rsquo;t shy about giving up some prospects, but were steadfast in holding on to rising star Xander Bogaerts, a 20-year-old shortstop expected to contribute next season. Boston acquired a major addition to the rotation with Jake Peavy. The former Cy Young winner usually keeps his teams in games and logs innings, taking pressure off the bullpen.&nbsp; He has some health questions, and the likelihood that he could miss some starts is higher than the Sox would like. But if he makes 10 starts for Boston, the Red Sox are much more likely to fend off Tampa Bay and Baltimore. Matt Thornton, acquired from the Chicago White Sox in a separate deal, deepens the Red Sox bullpen.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Detroit Tigers</strong></span><br />With the impending suspension of shortstop Jhonny Peralta, the Tigers took a preemptive strike in trading for Jose Iglesias from Boston. The defensive whiz will immediately upgrade the Tigers&rsquo; defense up the middle, and the former Cuban star hasn&rsquo;t been too shabby with the bat. Detroit has enough offense to withstand the loss of Peralta&rsquo;s bat, and Iglesias improves the defense. Avisail Garcia is a rising star, but the Tigers need to ensure their position in the playoffs this season, so this deal makes a ton of sense. Other than the Peralta potential situation, the Tigers&rsquo; glaring need all season has been bullpen help. Problem solved with the addition of Jose Veras from Houston. Veras has been the lone bright spot in Houston this season with 19 saves.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Chicago Cubs</strong></span><br />Like their brethren on the South Side, the Cubs aren&rsquo;t expecting to seriously contend this season or next. So the Cubs are building their farm system with an eye toward sustaining success through the second half of this decade. The Cubs&rsquo; return for Scott Feldman and Matt Garza brought good value for the future, and they were able to unload Carlos Marmol and Alfonso Soriano.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Chicago White Sox</strong></span><br />Clearly the White Sox are not going anywhere in 2013, and with an aging roster and the rise of Cleveland and Kansas City, even 2014 may not hold high hopes. So stocking the system with players like Garcia, who should be immediately useful in the big leagues, and prospects Francelis Montas, a 20-year-old flamethrower, J.B. Wendelken, another highly touted pitcher, and infielder Cleuluis Rondon, the White Sox have a brighter future than they did a few days ago. Brandon Jacobs was acquired from Boston in the Thornton deal earlier.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:20px;"><strong>Losers</strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Arizona Diamondbacks</strong></span><br />The season is quickly slipping away from the D-Men. I had the Diamondbacks in the Jake Peavy pool, so that didn&rsquo;t work out too well. The pitching staff is not too bad, especially if Trevor Cahill can come back and be productive soon. Left-handed reliever Joe Thatcher was acquired from San Diego along with minor leaguer Matt Stites, a closer at Double-A, for Ian Kennedy. While this helps the bullpen, offensively the D-backs need lots of help. Paul Goldschmidt has twice as many homers and RBIs as any teammate. He must have some help. Arizona did not improve its roster enough to come back and catch the Dodgers.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Baltimore Orioles</strong></span><br />The acquisitions of Scott Feldman and Bud Norris boost the rotation, and Francisco Rodriguez adds experienced depth to the bullpen, but the club really could use some pop at DH and protection for Chris Davis. The Orioles are 0-for-11 after an intentional walk to Davis, and don&rsquo;t think teams don&rsquo;t notice trends like that. The slugger will be avoided more and more as the season goes along. If rookie Henry Urrutia can fill that role as DH/Davis protector, then the Orioles will have played their hand well. If not, Buck Showlater will be left wishing he had a few more weapons in his arsenal.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Texas Rangers</strong></span><br />Reports that the Rangers were willing to listen on any player speak to how desperate the team is to improve its offense, especially in light of the impending suspension of right fielder and best run producer Nelson Cruz. The team&#39;s slugging percentage dropped to .362 in June. The acquisition of Matt Garza gives the Rangers a respectable 1-2-3 punch with Yu Darvish, Derek Holland and Garza. But the Rangers need offense badly, and that&rsquo;s with Cruz in the lineup.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Pittsburgh Pirates</strong></span><br />With Andrew McCutchen warming up and Pedro Alvarez finally becoming the power threat the Pirates envisioned when they made him the No. 2 overall selection in 2006, the offense is not bad. But for the season the Bucs are batting just .243 with a .390 slugging percentage. A hitter like Justin Morneau or even Marlon Byrd could have been helpful. But the biggest problem could be the bullpen. Clint Hurdle&rsquo;s plan was working perfectly with Mark Melancon setting up closer Jason Grilli, who was near perfect. But with Grilli out for what could be an extended time, all the roles have shifted and Pittsburgh may begin to let a few close games slip away without additional help.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>New York Yankees</strong></span><br />With the Orioles adding two starting pitchers and Francisco Rodriguez, the Red Sox bolstering their rotation and even the Rays strengthening their bullpen, the Yankees didn&rsquo;t do much to address some dire needs. Yes, bringing Alfonso Soriano back was a positive step, but there was nothing done to beef up the pitching staff or find a right-handed hitting first baseman, to say nothing of the gaping hole at third base. The Yankees have gotten just five home runs from the hot corner this season, or the same number the Cubs have gotten from their pitching staff.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-64 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">MLB Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/boston-red-sox">Boston Red Sox</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/detroit-tigers">Detroit Tigers</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/baltimore-orioles">Baltimore Orioles</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/chicago-cubs">Chicago Cubs</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/chicago-white-sox">Chicago White Sox</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/arizona-diamondbacks">Arizona Diamondbacks</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/texas-rangers">Texas Rangers</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/pittsburgh-pirates">Pittsburgh Pirates</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-teams/new-york-yankees">New York Yankees</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-65 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">MLB Players:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/jake-peavy">Jake Peavy</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/jose-iglesias">Jose Iglesias</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/jhonny-peralta">Jhonny Peralta</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/jose-veras">Jose Veras</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/alfonso-soriano">Alfonso Soriano</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/matt-garza">Matt Garza</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/scott-feldman">Scott Feldman</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/chris-davis">Chris Davis</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/ian-kennedy">Ian Kennedy</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/nelson-cruz">Nelson Cruz</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/mlb-players/andrew-mccutchen">Andrew McCutchen</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/mlb-players/jason-grilli">Jason Grilli</a></div></div></div>Wed, 31 Jul 2013 21:40:22 +0000Charlie Miller25180 at http://athlonsports.com10 Baseball Players Who Would Make Great Managershttp://athlonsports.com/mlb/10-baseball-players-who-would-make-great-managers
<div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">&lt;p&gt;
10 Baseball Players Who Would Make Great Managers&lt;/p&gt;
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>When it comes to managing a baseball team, who knows the game better than someone who played it? That&rsquo;s why it should come as no surprise that of the league&rsquo;s 30 current managers, 25 of them are former MLB players.</p><p>With an established history and track record of making the transition from the field to the dugout already in place, the question becomes which current players would make the best manager?</p><p>This was just one of the many questions Athlon Sports posed to today&rsquo;s players, with the goal of gauging their opinions, tastes and preferences on a variety of topics related to both on and off-field issues. More than a fifth of all MLB players responded for this survey, which appears in full in the upcoming June issue of <em>Athlon Sports Magazine</em>, so we feel this is a fair representation of the mindset of today&rsquo;s major-leaguers.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Which current player will make the best manager?</strong></span><br /><em>(Numbers following name represent the percentage of the vote player received)</em></p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/17437-1/Derek+Jeter+09.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 327px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />1. Derek Jeter, SS, New York Yankees (7.1%)</strong></span><br />There should be little surprise the Yankees captain received the most votes from his peers. Even though he has yet to play in a game this season, Jeter&rsquo;s Hall of Fame legacy is secure, as is his standing as one of the greatest to ever wear Yankee pinstripes.</p><p>Whether Jeter even has any managerial aspirations is for him to reveal, but it&rsquo;s clear that his peers think he&rsquo;s more than capable of making the transition. Playing his entire career in the media capital of the world for one of the world&rsquo;s most recognizable franchises and becoming one of the greatest of all-time certainly doesn&rsquo;t hurt his credentials either.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>2. Jason Giambi, 1B/DH, Cleveland (6.4</strong></span><strong style="font-size: 16.363636016845703px;">%</strong><strong style="font-size: 16px;">)</strong><br />A 19-year veteran who has played for four different teams, Giambi has left enough of an impression on his peers in regard to his chances of making it as a manager. Giambi has a reputation for being a great teammate, and he also gained some credibility and respect when he publicly apologized in May 2007 for steroid use. Giambi reportedly was considered as a possible managerial candidate in Colorado during this past offseason before the Rockies settled on Walt Weiss. First-year Cleveland manager Terry Francona also was adamant about signing Giambi, believing he would be a great mentor for the Indians&#39; younger players. So it appears that the players aren&rsquo;t the only ones who think highly of Giambi in this respect.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>3. David Wright, 3B, New York Mets (5.7%)</strong></span><br />Similar to Jeter, Wright is the face of the other baseball team in New York, as he already is the all-time Mets&rsquo; franchise leader in numerous offensive categories. Wright hasn&rsquo;t enjoyed near as much team success as Jeter, but the Mets&rsquo; struggles in the win-loss column haven&rsquo;t impacted the complete, all-out effort Wright puts into every game. He&rsquo;s been known to play hurt or at less than 100 percent and has clearly won the respect of his teammates, as he was named the fourth captain in Mets&rsquo; franchise history this season.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>4. Mark DeRosa, 2B/3B/OF, Toronto (4.3%)</strong></span><br />A 16-year veteran who has played for eight different teams, DeRosa has seen and done it all during his career. He is a versatile player who has spent time at every position on the diamond with the exception of pitcher, catcher and center field. He has been an asset to the managers he&rsquo;s played for during the latter part of his career as a do-everything, utility player who is ready when called upon and won&rsquo;t grouse about at-bats while on the bench. A graduate of the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania, DeRosa certainly appears to have the ingredients players like to see in their managers.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>5. David Ross, C, Boston (4.3%)</strong></span><br />He&rsquo;s played for six different teams in 12 seasons and has appeared in more than 90 games just once. A career .237 hitter, Ross has obviously earned the respect of his teammates and peers for his contributions to a team based on him finishing tied for fourth in this vote. While he may just be a backup catcher, Ross is in good company as 10 current managers, which is a third of MLB teams, spent time behind the plate during their playing careers.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>6. Mark Kotsay, OF/1B, San Diego (3.5%)</strong></span><br />The recipient of the Golden Spikes Award in 1995 as college baseball&rsquo;s best player while at Cal State Fullerton, Kotsay is in his 17th major-league season. A career .278 hitter with 127 home runs who has played for seven different teams, Kotsay&rsquo;s contributions to a ball club go beyond what he can do at the plate. Kotsay has made the transition from full-time starter to part-time player and done so while maintaining the respect of both his teammates and the franchises he has played for.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/38967-1/Mauer_300.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 327px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />7. Joe Mauer, C/1B, Minnesota (3.5%)</strong></span><br />The 2009 AL MVP, there&rsquo;s no disputing Mauer&rsquo;s status as one of the game&rsquo;s top hitters. His worth to the Twins goes well beyond his contributions on the diamond, as evidenced by the eight-year, $184 million contract he signed in 2011. An established, well-respected player on the field and a profitable, likeable and marketable commodity off of it, Mauer is a perfect fit to eventually become the next in a line of &ldquo;home-grown&rdquo; Minnesota managers, similar to Tom Kelly and current Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>8. Yadier Molina, C, St. Louis (2.8%)</strong></span><br />Long known as one of the best defensive catchers and game-callers in the game, Molina also has developed into one of the top offensive backstops in recent seasons. His contributions and importance to the success of the Cardinals&rsquo; pitching staff during his tenure is unmistakable, so it only makes sense that his peers feel Molina would make a great manager. Besides his work with the pitchers, Molina often will direct the positioning of the other fielders. Molina&rsquo;s middle brother Jose is a catcher with Tampa Bay, while his older brother Benjie is the assistant hitting coach for the Cardinals. So why not a Molina-heavy coaching staff with Yadier as manager?</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>9. Nick Punto, 2B/3B/SS, Los Angeles Dodgers (2.8%)</strong></span><br />Punto is the epitome of a major-league utility man, having played 13 seasons for five different teams even though he&rsquo;s started more than 100 games in a season just twice. He&rsquo;s played all four infield positions and also spent time in the outfield. He won a World Series with the Cardinals in 2011 and represented Italy in the World Baseball Classic in both 2009 and &rsquo;13. More known for his glove than his bat, Punto is your prototypical solid, yet not spectacular, professional major-leaguer in the mold of current Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>10. Paul Konerko, 1B, Chicago White Sox (1.6%*)</strong></span><br />A 17-year veteran with more than 400 career home runs, Konerko is second all-time in White Sox franchise history in both homers and RBIs and has been the team&#39;s captain since 2006. Whether Konerko decides to follow in the footsteps of former teammate and current manager Robin Ventura remains to be seen, but he is well respected for his baseball mind and has had a good working relationship with the media during his career. Rather than Ventura, a better comparison for Konerko would be current Los Angeles Dodgers skipper and former All-Star first baseman Don Mattingly.</p><p><em>*Jerry Hairston Jr. (OF, Los Angeles Dodgers) and Michael Young (3B/2B, Philadelphia) also each received 1.6 percent of the vote.</em></p> </div></div></div>Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:00:00 +0000Mark Ross22411 at http://athlonsports.comAL West's Top Storylines to Watch in 2015http://athlonsports.com/mlb/al-wests-top-storylines-watch-2015
<div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">American League&#039;s Top Storylines to Watch for 2015</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/32657-1/FelixHernandez-inset.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 327px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />The American League West is chalked full of A-list characters that make the cast&nbsp;of &quot;Birdman<em>&quot;&nbsp;</em>look like a B-movie. <strong>King Felix</strong>&rsquo;s kingdom in Seattle, MVP Mike Trout in Southern Cal, Billy Beane wheeling and dealing in the Bay Area, Prince, Yu and Choo revamping for a revolution in Texas, and a group of hard-swinging youngsters in Houston that are poised for takeoff make the AL West a must-watch division this summer.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><em>Here are the top storylines&nbsp;to watch in the American League West in 2015.</em></h4><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><strong>Angel</strong><strong>s&#39; Time Running Out?</strong></h4><p><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/43818-1/LAA.jpg" style="width: 125px; height: 171px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />Is it possible that a team can win its division by 10 games, have this generation&rsquo;s best player, own the best record in baseball and be considered a disappointment? With a payroll that exceeded $154 million and a roster built for October, the 2014 Angels were absolutely disappointing. Expectations will only continue to grow in 2015 as high-priced players like Josh Hamilton, Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson grow in age and fail to deliver consistently.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Angels are on the hook for $189 million over the next seven years for Pujols, who just turned 35, and is coming off a &ldquo;rebound year&rdquo; in which he hit 45 points below his career batting average. Hamilton, impending suspension aside, hasn&rsquo;t been worth the $25 million he&rsquo;s due in 2015, hitting just .255/.316/.426 with 31 homers and an OPS of .741 since moving to Anaheim in &#39;13. Wilson made $16 million in 2014 and is due another $18 million this season, has an ERA close to 3.90 and WHIP of 1.374. In his lone start in the AL Division Series against the Royals last October, Wilson didn&rsquo;t make it out of the first frame, giving up three runs in just two-thirds of an inning.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Halos will be looking for a bounce back at the plate from third baseman and former All-Star David Freese, who has yet to live up to his 2011 World Series heroics in California. Kole Calhoun put together a solid year in 2014, hitting 17 homers and 31 doubles batting mostly leadoff and newcomer Matt Joyce has the ability to add much-needed depth to Scioscia&rsquo;s lineup in the DH spot.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The biggest riddle will be the re-vamped bullpen that features many new young arms and veteran closer Huston Street. The rotation should be a bright spot for Anaheim, especially if Wilson can keep it together for an entire summer and as well as the&nbsp;postseason. Being without budding ace Garret Richards until late April seems to be a minor hiccup for this staff that also includes veteran All-Star Jered Weaver, and up-and-coming righty Matt Shoemaker.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The biggest question for this Angels team is &mdash; how much longer does GM Jerry Dipoto have until it&#39;s time to move major contracts in order to replenish a fledging farm system and plan for the future? 2015 could be the last great opportunity Anaheim has before the World Series window is no more.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><strong>Seattle Reign</strong></h4><p><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/9145-2/Seattle.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 153px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />After an impressive 2014 that saw a 16-game swing from 2013, the Seattle Mariners are the team to watch in the AL West in 2015. Championship teams are built on superior pitching, reliable defense, and timely hitting. The Mariners have all three.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Pitching has been and will be the M&rsquo;s trademark in 2015. Any rotation that features Felix Hernandez is going to be good, but throw in Hisashi Iwakuma as the number two, with a mix of young, live arms waiting in the wings like Taijuan Walker and James Paxton and that rotation becomes deadly. If lefty J.A. Happ can find his 2009 form that almost won him NL Rookie of the Year honors with the Phillies, this Mariners rotation could be untouchable.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The only thing more dangerous in the AL West than the M&rsquo;s starting rotation could be their bullpen. The majority of the relief corps&nbsp;that allowed just 157 runs in 500 innings and had a combined ERA of 2.59 last season is back for 2015. Fernando Rodney, with his bow and arrow, crooked hat, and 48 saves from are back, along with even more young arms, including last year&rsquo;s rookie studs Dominic Leone and Carson Smith, each of whom could be thrown in the mix as the season progresses.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Mariners struggled last season at the plate, finishing 2014 ranked 27th in doubles, 22nd in total bases, 19th in RBIs, and 15th in homers. Signing Nelson Cruz, last season&#39;s home run leader, to a four-year deal surely will help remedy that issue. Asking Cruz to hit another 40 dingers in Safeco is a tall order, but adding his big bat will surely allow for better pitches for Robinson Cano and budding star third baseman Kyle Seager. Seager, a first time All-Star and Gold Glove winner in 2014, hit 27 doubles and 25 homers last season and was rewarded with a seven-year deal worth approximately $100 million.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The addition of Cruz and locking up Seager long term will definitely be helpful for the M&rsquo;s in 2015, but several questions still linger for a team looking to take the next step. First baseman Logan Morrison finished 2014 on a nice pace, but in large part has been a shell of the player he was becoming in Miami.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Since his breakout 2009 season (25 2B, 23 HR, 72 RBI),&nbsp;Morrison hasn&rsquo;t topped 20 doubles, 11 homers, or 38 RBIs,&nbsp;as injuries have been a nuisance throughout his career. Waiting in the wings in case Morrison&rsquo;s struggles continue is last year&rsquo;s minor league RBI champion, D.J. Peterson, who is expected to make the move to first this spring.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Seth Smith, who was acquired from the Padres, and Justin Ruggiano are expected to platoon in right field, as outfielders Dustin Ackley and Austin Jackson are aiming to rebound from lackluster 2014 showings.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>If the outfield can&rsquo;t produce to GM Jack Zduriencik&rsquo;s liking, he has plenty of young pitchers to use as trade bait to find the needed help at the plate. Keep your eye on the Emerald City this summer as this could be the year the Mariners snap their 14-year postseason skid and march into October as favorites.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><strong>Houston</strong><strong>&rsquo;s Big Leap?</strong></h4><p><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/43816-1/HOU.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 150px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />The Houston Astros might be the most entertaining team to watch in 2015. Yeah, they are going to swing and miss &mdash; a lot, but they are also going to hit a ton of home runs. Last season, the &lsquo;Stros were truly feast or famine, ranking fourth in homers and second in strikeouts. Developing superstars Chris Carter, Jon Singleton, and George Springer combined for 430 strikeouts in 2014 &mdash; but they also combined for 158 homers with Springer and Singleton playing roughly half their seasons in The Show.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Astros are looking to new manager&nbsp;A. J. Hinch&nbsp;to be a vital influence for their young sluggers, hoping he can teach patience at the plate. In addition to a new skipper, the Houston front office made moves to bring in several veteran lineup pieces, including Evan Gattis and Colby Rasmus in the outfield and Luis Valbuena at third. Rasmus, Valbuena and Gattis have big pop capabilities, but are also rather strikeout-prone. All three should add a welcomed veteran presence in the clubhouse and on the lineup card for Hinch.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Houston lineup wasn&rsquo;t the only thing that received a minor facelift this offseason, as veteran hurlers Pat Neshek and Luke Gregerson were signed to bolster a bullpen that ranked dead last in ERA during 2014 (4.80). Neshek and Gregerson were nice pick ups, but the Astros still lack a true closer after missing out on David Robertson this past winter.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The rotation for the Astros could prove to be formidable with last season&rsquo;s surprises in Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh. Keuchel and McHugh both posted sub-3.00 ERAs in 2014, as McHugh struck out 157 batters in 154.2 innings of work, and Keuchel developed into the Astros&#39; most reliable starter, throwing 200 innings. While the long-term jury is still deliberating on Keuchel and McHugh, the Astros are still without a true ace. But that ace could be within the Astros organization already in 2013 No. 1&nbsp;overall pick, Mark Appel. Appel was inconsistent in his first full minor league season, but has reportedly already been turning heads at Astros camp.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Make no doubt about it, the future is bright in Houston, especially with pieces like reigning AL batting champion Jose Altuve manning second base long term, and a cabinet full of hard-swinging youngsters whose upside is almost infinite. The Astros are ready to start winning, and winning soon. While a postseason run this summer is a bit too ambitious, certainly a .500 record is well within reach.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em><strong>- by Jake Rose</strong></em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field-collection-container clearfix"><div class="field field-name-field-must-read-links field-type-field-collection field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Must Read Links:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"><div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links clearfix" class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links">
<div class="content">
<div class="field field-name-field-exclude-unless-partner field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude Unless Partner:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div> </div>
</div>
</div></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-exclude-from-feeds field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude From Games:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Include In Games</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-previous-article field-type-entityreference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Previous Article:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Five National League Players on New Teams to Watch in 2015</div></div></div>Tue, 03 Mar 2015 17:00:00 +0000Athlon Sports98715 at http://athlonsports.com2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Catchershttp://athlonsports.com/fantasy/2015-fantasy-baseball-rankings-catchers
<div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Catcher</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://shop.athlonsports.com/index.php?cPath=33_476" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://shop.athlonsports.com/images/Minn-Milw_v81_2015.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 332px; margin: 4px; float: right;" /></a>Opening Day of the 2015 MLB season is less than a month away, which means fantasy baseball is just around the corner. For some leagues, drafts have already begun or will soon begin and Athlon Sports is here to help.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Besides providing our comprehensive <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://athlonsports.com/mlb/2015-fantasy-baseball-big-board-rankings" target="_blank">Fantasy Baseball Big Board</a>, we also have our positional rankings, courtesy of Bruce Herman. These are pulled straight from this year&rsquo;s <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://shop.athlonsports.com/index.php?cPath=33_476" target="_blank"><em>2015 MLB Preview</em> magazine</a>, which is available at newsstands everywhere and for purchase online.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">Rankings Key</h4><p><strong>A: FRANCHISE PLAYER &mdash;</strong> You need one to compete, two to win, three to dominate.</p><p><strong>B: CAREER YEAR &mdash;</strong> Veteran with a strong possibility of delivering his best season.</p><p><strong>C: SLEEPER &mdash;</strong> Could be a great acquisition at a price or draft slot below his true value.</p><p><strong>D: ROADBLOCKED &mdash;</strong> Rank has been lowered because there is no current opportunity to play regularly.</p><p><strong>E: DECLINER &mdash;</strong> Expect moderately to significantly worse stats than in 2014.</p><p><strong>F: INJURY RISK &mdash;</strong> Has had a recent injury that could affect performance.</p><p><strong>G: INVESTOR&rsquo;S SPECIAL &mdash;</strong> Top prospect whose immediate impact may be minimal.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em>Batting stats are expressed AVG-HR-RBI-R-SB. Positional eligibility for specific players may vary depending on league, as well as&nbsp;other Web sites and resources.</em></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3 class="athlon-large-title" style="font-family:tungsten-semibold;font-size:42px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;padding:0;">2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Catchers</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">TIER 1</h4><p><strong>1. Buster Posey, Giants (A)</strong></p><p>Posey has had two torrid Junes and frosty Julys in a row, with the latter separating him from the MVP form we saw in 2012. He&rsquo;s one slumpbuster pill away from being that guy again (.336-24-103-78-1) instead of the still-formidable .303-18-80-66-1 of the last two years.</p><p><strong>2. Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers</strong></p><p>Lucroy&rsquo;s incremental progression into the catching gentry has been in lockstep with his full-season SO/BB ratios: 3.4, 2.0, 1.4, 1.1. His 2014 OPS of .837 may have been short of Posey&rsquo;s, but no other qualifying backstop was within 52 points of it &mdash; hence the abbreviated Tier 1.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">TIER 2</h4><p><strong><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/46987-1/SalvadorPerez_2014_300.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 327px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />3. Salvador Perez, Royals</strong></p><p>Perez&rsquo;s AVG was .298 on June 30, but just .230 afterwards (including playoffs). He wore down from catching 91% of KC&rsquo;s games, saw his swing compromised (MLB-high 17.3 infield pop-up rate) and flailed at anything with seams. Homers are on pace to settle in the 20s.</p><p><strong>4. Devin Mesoraco, Reds</strong></p><p>Dusty Baker jacked him around, but Bryan Price trusted Mesoraco, whose response was to enact the largest OPS increase in the National League (min. 300 PAs), from .649 to .893. Led all catchers with 25 HRs, but the .273 AVG is at the upper end of his capability.</p><p><strong>5. Yan Gomes, Indians</strong></p><p>We pointed out that Gomes would be a Tier 2er if Carlos Santana changed positions. That came to pass, and Yan&rsquo;s year was a dead ringer for Perez&rsquo;s. His lack of judgment is equally as dicey, but then again, Brazilians love this dish called feijoada that contains pigs&rsquo; ears.</p><p><strong>6. Yadier Molina, Cardinals</strong></p><p>Molina wasn&rsquo;t quite the usual automaton in 2014, as he dipped to his lowest OPS since 2010. His career highs of a .319 AVG, 22 HRs and 80 RBIs will likely remain so in perpetuity, but he&rsquo;s a safe option at a position with few.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">TIER 3</h4><p><strong>7. Russell Martin, Blue Jays</strong></p><p>The .290 AVG &mdash; up from .234 the previous five seasons &mdash; was a quirk, but a move to Rogers Centre and better health should inch the homers back into the high teens. John Gibbons has him penciled in as a No. 2 hitter, though, which would menace his RBI chances.</p><p><strong>8. Matt Wieters, Orioles (F)</strong></p><p>Wieters was swatting 53 points above his career AVG when he was derailed by an elbow injury and eventually Tommy Johned. He&rsquo;ll be lucky to hit .260 over a full season, but 20 homers and 70 RBIs are even bets, recognizing that his workload may be reduced.</p><p><strong>9. Wilson Ramos, Nationals (B, F)</strong></p><p>In Ramos&rsquo; case, the term &ldquo;full season&rdquo; is as meaningful as it was to &ldquo;Osbournes Reloaded.&rdquo; He&rsquo;s been sidetracked by everything from gossamer hamstrings to being kidnapped. Based on his three-year numbers, a 500-AB season would look like this: .268-21-82-51-0.</p><p><strong>10. Jason Castro, Astros</strong></p><p>The position&rsquo;s next great offensive hope fell into a quagmire of strikeouts (one every 3.4 PAs), precipitating a 54-point AVG fall to .222. Homers in the teens, RBIs in the 50s are plausible.</p><p><strong>11. Travis d&rsquo;Arnaud, Mets (B, F)</strong></p><p>Quietly but dramatically pulled out of a halting career launch to go .271-7-22 in his final 54 games. Had bone chips removed from his elbow in October.</p><p><strong>12. Brian McCann, Yankees</strong></p><p>McCann is fortunate to be playing in one of the few ballparks that keeps him roto-relevant; 19 of his 23 homers were at Yankee Stadium. Acute pull proclivities beat down his AVG to a shift-stymied .232.</p><p><strong>13. Miguel Montero, Cubs</strong></p><p>Made a considerable regression from his first three 400-AB seasons (.287-16-78-64-1, on average) to .237-12-57-42-0 in 2013-14. Moves to Wrigley, where&rsquo;s he&rsquo;s done well.</p><p><strong>14. Wilin Rosario, Rockies (F)</strong></p><p>Like many catchers, Rosario can only tell a ball from a strike while wearing a mask. That, the burden of his defensive struggles, and the seeming inevitability of his departure from Coors threaten to eat into the lofty power ceiling he erected with 49 homers in 2012-13.</p><p><strong>15. Mike Zunino, Mariners</strong></p><p>First player in history to bat below .200 with at least 150 SOs and fewer than 20 BBs while hitting more than 20 HRs. The hooks on which to hang a fantasy hat are that last stat and his perceived potential.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">TIER 4</h4><p>18. John Jaso, Rays (F)</p><p>17. Derek Norris, Padres</p><p>16. Stephen Vogt, A&rsquo;s (F)</p><p>19. Francisco Cervelli, Pirates (B)</p><p>20. Yasmani Grandal, Dodgers</p><p>21. Alex Avila, Tigers (F)</p><p>22. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Marlins</p><p>23. Tyler Flowers, White Sox</p><p>24. Nick Hundley, Rockies</p><p>25. Rene Rivera, Rays</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">TIER 5</h4><p>26. Kurt Suzuki, Twins (E)</p><p>27. Josmil Pinto, Twins (C)</p><p>28. Chris Iannetta, Angels</p><p>29. Robinson Chirinos, Rangers</p><p>30. Christian Bethancourt, Braves</p><p>31. Blake Swihart, Red Sox (G)</p><p>32. Welington Castillo, Cubs (D)</p><p>33. Brayan Pena, Reds</p><p>34. Ryan Hanigan, Red Sox</p><p>35. A.J. Pierzynski, Braves</p><p>36. Carlos Ruiz, Phillies</p><p>37. Hank Conger, Astros (D)</p><p>38. Peter O&rsquo;Brien, Diamondbacks (G)</p><p>39. Christian Vazquez, Red Sox</p><p>40. A.J. Ellis, Dodgers (E)</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-68 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Miscellaneous:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/fantasy-baseball">Fantasy Baseball</a></div></div></div><div class="field-collection-container clearfix"><div class="field field-name-field-must-read-links field-type-field-collection field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Must Read Links:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"><div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links clearfix" class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links">
<div class="content">
<div class="field field-name-field-exclude-unless-partner field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude Unless Partner:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div> </div>
</div>
</div></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-exclude-from-feeds field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude From Games:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Include In Games</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-previous-article field-type-entityreference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Previous Article:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Designated Hitters</div></div></div>Tue, 03 Mar 2015 15:00:00 +0000Athlon Sports98427 at http://athlonsports.com